Wookey F1 Challenge story only

Little troubled by Jaussaud's poor performance at Spa, I'm getting ready to start from the second line on the pretty circuit of Mosport.
The Canadian Grand Prix returns to Mosport, it seems for good because the route of Mont-Tremblant is abandoned by Formula 1. The two world championships being awarded to Jackie Stewart and Tyrrell-Ford-Cosworth , second places are now in play.
 
Having finally recovered his license, Jean-Pierre Beltoise returns to the wheel of the second Matra. However in Mosport the atmosphere is not very good in the French team. Chris Amon complains about the poor handling of his machine and shows himself in a very bad mood. For its part, Beltoise understands more and more that Bruno Morin focuses all the efforts of the mechanics on equipment for Amon. So when during tests the latter asks for a new anti-roll bar, we dismount the one on the French car. Very disappointed, Beltoise however takes the wheel and, despite a car a priori unbalanced, beats the time achieved by Amon ...
 
Three Ferrari 312B2 are entered for this race thanks to the return of Mario Andretti. But the ambitions of the Scuderia are now modest and are limited to placing all cars on arrival.
 Lotus presents itself again with two 72D at the hands of Emerson Fittipaldi and Reine Wisell. The English team is in bad shape. Colin Chapman learned that his right hand Maurice Philippe was abandoning him to join the Parnelli Jones structure in the United States. Three of his thirteen mechanics also leave the factory. After a year of unnecessary effort, Chapman abandons the turbine car to focus on the development of the 72. He hopes to retain Fittipaldi, coveted by Ferrari. As for Wisell, he disappointed his boss who decided to replace him in 1972 by the great Australian prospect Dave Walker.
 At McLaren, Denny Hulme is back behind the wheel. A second M19A is under the patronage of Roger Penske and entrusted to the American Mark Donohue, 34, who shined in USAC flying McLaren. He has the opportunity to show what he is capable of in Formula 1.
 Andrea de Adamich does not travel to Canada because of personal problems. As a result, no Alfa Romeo cars are engaged since Nanni Galli now owns a 711 powered by a Cosworth. From Adamich is replaced by Mike Beuttler who can therefore drive an official Ford-Cosworth Motor March.
Ronnie Peterson hopes to win his first Grand Prix. The young Swede has an outstanding season as he is now close to winning the European Formula 2 championship.
 
At the Scuderia Centro South, McLeod finishes the season before letting her drive next year to Nathy Wehbe-Mennella, now recovering from her delivery and leading the pits for the end of the season.

Team Vulkan has insisted all season with his duo Scheller and Bertolini drivers, but if the place of the first depends on his willingness to continue despite the gentle pressure of his young wife, that of the second is strongly threatened for 1972 by the the rise of the young guard who defends more than honorably to the Benelux Trophies in Team B d'Oreste Berta.
At Surtees, we only find the two TS9s of John Surtees and Rolf Stommelen. Mike Hailwood, so brilliant at Monza, will only come back to Watkins-Glen.
 Other North American pilots appear or return for this race. Skip Barber makes his return to the wheel of his private March 711. Pete Lovely, 45, is once again trying his luck with a hybrid Lotus sponsored by Volkswagen. His car is indeed a Lotus 69 F2 equipped with a rear train of Type 49 F1.
Canadian George Eaton returns to BRM for freelancing with a BRM P160. With the P153 Helmut Marko, so there are five BRM that come at the start! A note that Peter Gethin uses the new V12 MK II tested by Jo Siffert during the tests of the GP of Austria.
 Finally the English Chris Craft pilot an old Brabham BT33 presented by the amateur pilot Alain de Cadenet, under the name Evergreen Stable.

Siffert, in great form this season, took pole position. I start in his exhausts, and I will never see anything else of his BRM. He goes first, beats and rebates the lap record and stops only once crossed the checkered flag! Third win of the season for Switzerland after Barcelona and Zeltweg. Decidedly, Seppi loves toboggans!
For a good part of the race, Stewart and I fight for second place, followed by Valiant and Ferrari. But a few laps from the end, the fourth does not pass ... then my third. I pass in the double right tight, and the rest of the circuit on the fifth only. Evidently, I tumble in the rankings.

I learn on arrival that Stewart had to slow too, suffering from feeding problems. Vaillant thus climbs on the podium, and Regazzoni completes the Swiss triumph. Depailler, my teammate, had a great race and got back into the points in fourth place ahead of Scheller and Katsumoto, finally spared the tough fight that followed them this season.

In the championship, Siffert secures his second place. Vaillant, Ickx and Mennella will compete for third at the last Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

RTL Benelux Trophy rnd 2/3 :
Trophée d'Auvergne 

Provisionnal Entry :
1 Jean-Pierre JAUSSAUD Team Wookey-RTL Wookey PNB 72 Citroën SM14 V12 3,0 Michelin
6 Herbert MULLER Villiger Cigar Team Herbert Müller Lotus 72A Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
7 Denis Briot Denis Briot Motul Racing Lotus 72C Ford Cosworth V8 Firestone
18 Jean CHRISTOPHE La Perle de Chateauneuf du Pape Brabham BT33 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Goodyear
24 Robert LAMPLOUGH Privé BRM P133 BRM V12
25 Bernd TERBECK Privé BRM P126 BRM V12
26 Niki LAUDA STP March Racing Team March 711 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
27 Silvio MOSER Jolly Club Switzerland Bellasi F1 70 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Goodyear
28 Jo BONNIER Ecurie Bonnier McLaren M7C Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Goodyear
29 Carlos REUTEMANN Ecurie CAP – Argentine Brabham BT26C Ford Cosworth V8 DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
31 Hannelore Werner Ecurie Vaillante – Club V Vaillante 711 Vaillante V12 3,0 Firestone
32 Dieter Quester OASC – Fondation Rindt Wookey PNB 70F1 Citroën SM14 V12 3,0 Michelin
33 "Vasko" Ecurie Vaillante – Club V Vaillante 711 Vaillante V12 3,0 Firestone
34 François MAZET Siffert Racing Team March 701 Ford Cosworth V8
35 Riccardo PRIORI Bellasi Scuderia Priori Bellasi F1 71 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Goodyear
36 Jean-Pierre JARIER Shell Arnold Team March 701 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
37 Pierre Bat Ecurie St Feuillien March 701 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Dunlop
38 Tony TRIMMER Frank Williams Racing Cars March 701 Ford Cosworth V8
46 Hans Hulsebos Honig Team Surtees Nederland Surtees TS7 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
47 Christian Ethuin Team Shasta PZ Mk5 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Firestone
50 Nicolas Cole DSC Brabham BT33 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Goodyear
52 Osvaldo BESSIA Equipo Berta con IKA Vulkan T2 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0V8
53 Jean-Pierre LEBEL Equipo Berta con IKA Vulkan T2 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0V8
55 Jorge de Bagration Scuderia Pegaso Vulkan T1 Pegaso V8 3,0l
64 Erick Bernard Euzkadi Racing Team March 701 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 3.0 Dunlop
70 Boris Dimitrov LSA Khadi Khadi 10 Khadi V8 3,0l Nokia
97 Dave Criblez Criblez Racing Formula 1 Team BRM P160 BRM P142 V12 3.0 Goodyear

Victory of Christian Ethuin in Charade!
The driver of Shasta-Motul takes the lead of the Cup Benelux RTL F1.
Supported by RTL, but also by the regional daily "La Montagne", the race attracted a large audience on the magnificent course of the Circuit des Monts d'Auvergne.
Starting in the peloton, Christian Ethuin was in third position in the middle of the race, behind Lauda and Trimmer, gradually accelerating his pace as his car lightened. Increasingly with his very particular chassis, he adopted a cast style throughout the race, putting the car flat on the corner to maximize the support generated by its spoiler sides.
Trimmer, who suffered a puncture, then lost a lot of time to reach his stand in slow motion, then change wheels. It was thought to be heading for an Austrian victory when a sound of pine nuts salad was heard at Lauda. Losing little by little all his speed, the young Austrian fought bravely to continue but finally, his gearbox died two laps from the end.
The joy of the French public is completed by the third place of Jarier, who is gradually getting something out of his old March.
As for me, I am very satisfied with the fifth place Jaussaud who promises me that he has absolutely not forced on the PNB72 and took the tests to continue to settle.

New route at Watkins-Glen
Since 1970 the Watkins-Glen circuit has been considerably transformed. It is now 1.7 kilometers longer. The section of the "Big Bend" has disappeared to make room for a new starting grid and new stands much more adapted to the new standards of the competition. Only the area from Esses to The Loop has been preserved. After this one was built a more sinuous portion leading to the pit straight. The asphalt is new while ARMCO steel barriers have been installed all around the track.
 
However, the works were much delayed and were completed just two days before the first tests! The curbs are filled with sand and many cars will lift clouds of dust during the weekend.
 
Presentation of the event
This event will be the last of the world championship because the Grand Prix of Mexico was canceled following the death of Pedro Rodríguez.
 
The US Grand Prix draws a lot of participants with the $ 50,000 award promised to the winner, the highest award in a Formula One event. There are six American drivers and one Canadian. Mario Andretti still drives the third Ferrari. Roger Penske again entered a McLaren M19A shared by Mark Donohue, who had a great Grand Prix debut finishing on the podium at Mosport, and David Hobbs, who had already driven in Formula 1 in 1967-68, has since made a name in Formula A. Donohue hesitates between participating in the Grand Prix or a USAC event. Therefore, while ensuring his own qualification, he lends his car to Hobbs who will be responsible for the supply in the event of a lump.
Skip Barber and Pete Lovely are still engaged with their private cars, as are Englishman Chris Craft and his Brabham BT33.
Tyrrell hires a 001 for Peter Revson. This American is no stranger since he played a full F1 season in 1964 at Reg Parnell. He has since joined McLaren's orbit and has just won the CanAm championship ahead of Denny Hulme. Teddy Mayer thinks of entrusting him a Formula 1 in 1972. In the meantime, Revson tries to get used to driving an F1. He will also stay in the wake of François Cevert during the tests to achieve qualification.
 
John Surtees aligns no less than four TS9s for this event. Rolf Stommelen finally gives way to Mike Hailwood. Gijs van Lennep returns to the team after an appearance at Zandvoort. Finally the American Sam Posey, one of the stars of the Formula A, drives the fourth car.
BRM once again placed at the start an armada of four P160s entrusted to Jo Siffert, Howden Ganley, Peter Gethin and Helmut Marko, while the Canadian John Cannon, champion of Formula A in 1970, led the P153 which was devolved to George Eaton two weeks earlier.
 
We finally note the return of Jo Bonnier and his old McLaren M7C, as well as that of Andrea de Adamich at the wheel of the March-Alfa Romeo. The Italian takes the place of Mike Beuttler.
 
For this last Grand Prix the teams bring still technical evolutions. BRM is riding its MK2 engine in all its cars, except that of Howden Ganley. Always engine side, Alfa Romeo has changed the distribution of its V8.
Finally John Surtees uses a new TS9B with side radiators.

The other cars are without changes.

For the French press, this race comes down to a double handover. In France first, where as an outgoing champion, I am very far from having confirmed my status and now where Cevert, less shy than me in front of the photographers and the obligations of the jet-set, and halo of his American success will far exceed me in popularity.
And within the Tyrrell team then, or despite a title largely acquired from the mid-season, Stewart will now have to compete with a rival in his own team.

Everything had started in qualifying. 12th fastest time, far from the pole position of Luigi Mennella. Behind the Neapolitan, Michel Vaillant, Jacky Ickx, Stewart, Amon, Regazzoni, Katsumoto, McLeod, Warson and Scheller had done better than me, and Cevert was nearby as well as some BRM, McLaren and Lotus.
The race in front of me long, I decided to take my time to let things settle. But from the 8th round, I came face to face with Warson playing spinning at the exit of Anvil. In trying to avoid it, I take the rail and my car is embedded below. Fortunately I hit tangent, I'm unscathed, but I can not imagine if I had taken it from the front. These safety devices also scare me, or even more, than the trees and walls of Spa ...
In short, once again, it is sitting on the slope that I attend at the end of the race. Cevert who followed me could avoid us, and begins its ascent. At the price of a superb race, he passes one by one all his competitors until joining his leader Stewart, then fourth.
Together he passes Mennella whose engine seems out of shape. Then Ickx must stop suffering from an oil leak and only Vaillant still resists. But Stewart must slow down, betrayed by his tires. He gestures to Cevert to go, and Cevert goes!
In a breathtaking sprint he goes back to Vaillant and manages to overtake him. Behind, Siffert concluded his excellent season by setting the small group fighting for third place. He is ahead of Taka Katsumoto, Peterson, Mennella, McLeod, Ganley and Regazzoni. The other competitors are more than one round. Depailler, who belonged to this group, had to give up, because of a break in suspension.

The record of the season is quickly done. Stewart and Tyrrell crushed the start of the championship. BRM is well back at the end of the season and is a scarecrow for 1972. Siffert is downright favorite for the next title.
Of course we expect the replica of Tyrrell. Cevert's victory at Watkins Glen proved that the car had lost none of its competitiveness, and that it now has to rely on two top drivers at the wheel.
Valiant and Ferrari are possible alternatives, the domination of the Cosworth seems to be coming to an end as the V12 seem to have to fill their handicap of reliability and dominate the V8 in power.
As for me, I first paid cash for my Zandvoort accident, and I owe my Monza victory to save my season, my reputation and my relationship with my sponsors. I am also aware of having to stabilize the seat of my second pilot. This year, a dozen have succeeded. In spite of all their talent, Depailler, Jarier, Ethuin and Jaussaud showed some nice things, but none really took hold as Cevert had done before being "grabbed" by Ken Tyrrell. Donohue has been very good, and has all the necessary experience, but having him give up his American program is overpriced for me. So this time I have to decide for good and give the seat for the whole season to a driver that will really bring me something in terms of settings and can replace me in case of problems.
For the moment, Jaussaud is holding the rope. First of all because he's a great guy, talented, modest, with lots of humor and unanimous in the team. Henri and Marcel love it, like all the mechanics of the team.
Then because he already has the car well in hand and brings daily very precise indications on his behavior which helped us to the "side".
There are two races left before the truce. The Luxembourg GP and the Victory Race. I decided to align myself to continue working on PNB72. And also measure me to Jean-Pierre to better balance things between his natural speed, and the qualities of the car. Without telling him, I intend to leave him driving when I could compare our respective speeds to equal car.

The final of the Benelux RTL Cup is finally contested without competition with an official GP. It was expected a massive influx of competitors from the World Championship, but Ferrari is willing to Fiorano to prepare his replica, both Prototypes and F1, and the band Ecclestone sulks and quibbles the commitment premiums. Tyrrell gives in at the insistence of Elf who wants to make profitable the title in fall-out and aligns Cevert. Peterson, much courted besides, got March to give him a car. Brabham aligns Reutemann for testing. Ecclestone noticed the benefits of the young Argentinian last year on Vulkan, and this year in his own structure and plans to make it progress with Grahami Hill next year. Surtees presents Hailwood, who seems determined to make a real comeback in F1. Williams finally tests the Brazilian Carlos Pace, package at Monza. The Scuderia Centro Sud in turn aligns its chassis next year. Like me, Luigi has decided to take his time to develop the chassis in the off-season races at the end of the season. Nathy, eager to get behind the wheel, takes advantage of McLeod's new adventure into the first SCS04.
Yes, McLeod is the man of some crazy bets. We saw him rename a Shannon, lead a special Matra, rather conceived initially for the Curves of Coast. We saw him stubborn for a whole season in a heavy 4-wheel drive car that Stewart had said to hang, we were surprised to see him agree to take the place of Nathy at SCS time for her to become a mother . So we thought he was tired, and we could expect that he's chasing a factory shuttlecock?
What nay! Here he is who has made his future F1 from the Chapparal F5000, a car that is far from convincing in this category. A Cosworth V8 instead of 5.0l Chevy, a slimming cure, and here he is hilarious (as usual) and having taken the time to show his splendid beast to his Breton sponsors before taking the road to Assen to dispute the last round RTL!

RTL originally announced that the final would be held on the roads of the Grand Duchy. But despite the total commitment of the authorities, it was actually not possible to draw, develop and secure a circuit in such a short period of time. From then on, the solutions were not jostling. Especially since Spa, the Nürburgring and Zandvoort had already hosted a race this year.
The simplest solution was to fall back on a circuit well known to bikers: that of Assen, in the north of the Netherlands. A fast track, on roads open to the public, but with sections completely redone in 1955 in order to organize competitions, and also having all the facilities to accommodate the public and competitors.
36 competitors, as we have seen, made the trip. Some, like Pilette, Ethuin, Priori and others to play the RTL title, others just to figure. Finally, a few were there to start preparing the next season. And that was my case, like that of Nathy Wehbe and her husband Luigi, who chooses not to drive to completely control the return of his wife driving. It was also the case of McLeod who came to test his Chapparal which had not yet shone in F5000 despite its improved aerodynamics.

I did not discover the circuit, I had raced a long time ago on a motorcycle. But the sensations are different on 4 wheels, and I must admit that I took a huge pleasure. I hope that other races will be organized there one day!
So, I won the pole position, which delights me with respect to my car, already well trimmed by Jaussaud who has done a remarkable development work. Reuetmann is second, ahead of McLeod, Pilette, Vasko, Peterson, Cevert, Jaussaud is eighth.

I totally miss my start and find myself eighth at the end of the first lap. I evacuate my disappointment and focus on my car. No need to force my luck, this race does not have a big stake, except that to continue to get used to the car. Certainly it is fast, but also sharp enough to drive. It picks up quite gently from the front end while braking, and from the rear end to acceleration. Little by little, I am learning to anticipate these reactions. PNB71 had similar, but more predictable, more progressive.

Taking advantage of various incidents, I navigate to the fifth position when, at the end of the race, a radiator pipe gives way suddenly. I see my temperature indicator that panics and I range wisely, no need to slam the engine, it will not do the 4 laps of nearly 8km missing ... Curiously, Jaussaud is the victim of the same fault precisely and store his car too.

The race was played mainly between McLeod and Reutemann, Ecclestone had a big flair by hiring the young Argentinian who is doing one of the best Brabham races this year.
Priori, Wehbe, Cevert and Peterson remained in contact for a long time, but gave way at the end of the race, allowing Pace and Lauda to come back and threaten them. After the abandonment of the Tyrrell, it was Peterson who took the third step of the podium, ahead of Nathy Wehbe. The young mother does not seem to have lost her ride during her year without running.
Carlos Pace, the young Brazilian hope has kept all his promises, and Frank Williams does not stop raving about his driver who finished fifth. Riccardo Priori, finishing sixth, equalizes Christian Ethuin's points total who dropped out. But the Motul driver is sacred for the benefit of his victory in Charade.
McLeod and Pilette, 3rd tied with one win each, are separated by the rules for the benefit of McLeod, winner of the final round.
Nicholas Cole, with the same number of points, but without a win is 5th in the Cup.